The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) is one of the most ambitious irrigation projects in India, located in Telangana. It has been celebrated as an engineering marvel but has also faced significant criticism due to structural, financial, and environmental issues. This article breaks down what the project is, why it’s unique, and the challenges it faces, using simple language for anyone to understand.
What is the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project?
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a massive irrigation system designed to bring water from the Godavari River to the dry regions of Telangana. Launched in 2019, it aims to irrigate about 45 lakh acres of farmland, provide drinking water to towns and villages (including Hyderabad), and support industrial needs across 13 districts in Telangana. The project is often called the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project because of its scale and complexity.
The project starts at the Medigadda Barrage, where water is lifted from the Godavari River using giant pumps. This water is then moved through a network of canals, tunnels, reservoirs, and more pumps to reach higher elevations, up to 618 meters above sea level. The system includes three barrages (Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla), 19 pump houses, 20 lifts, and over 1,800 kilometers of canals and tunnels. It’s like a giant plumbing system that carries water across the state to help farmers grow crops and ensure people have water to drink.
What Makes the Kaleshwaram Project Unique?
The Kaleshwaram Project stands out for several reasons:
Massive Scale: It’s the largest lift irrigation project in the world, covering 13 districts and moving 240 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water. That’s enough water to fill millions of swimming pools!
Engineering Feats: The project uses powerful pumps to lift water to great heights, including one of Asia’s largest pump houses at Ramadugu. It also has the longest water-carrying tunnel in Asia, stretching 81 kilometers.
Multi-Purpose Design: Besides irrigating farmland, it provides drinking water to villages and cities and supports industries, making it a lifeline for Telangana’s economy.
Reverse Pumping: The project lifts water from the low-lying Godavari River and pumps it backward into higher areas, a complex process that requires advanced engineering.
These features make the project a bold attempt to transform Telangana’s agriculture and water supply, but they also come with big challenges.
Issues with the Medigadda Barrage: What the National Dam Safety Authority Found
The Medigadda Barrage, where the project begins, faced a major setback in October 2023 when several piers (supporting pillars) in its seventh block sank into the Godavari River. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), a government body that ensures dam safety, investigated and found serious problems:
Design Flaws: The barrage was designed as a “floating” structure but built as a rigid one, which caused it to behave differently than planned. This mismatch contributed to the sinking of the piers.
Construction Issues: The NDSA found poor quality control during construction. For example, the secant piles (underground supports) were not built properly, leaving gaps that allowed water to seep through and weaken the structure.
Lack of Maintenance: Since the barrage was completed in 2019, no regular inspections or maintenance were done on critical parts like concrete blocks and aprons, which weakened the structure over time.
Risk to Other Barrages: The Annaram and Sundilla barrages, upstream of Medigadda, have similar designs and construction methods, making them vulnerable to the same problems. The NDSA even noted signs of “boiling” (water seeping under the structure) at Annaram, a warning sign of potential failure.
The NDSA concluded that the Medigadda Barrage is “useless” until fully repaired and warned that the entire structure might need to be rebuilt. This has raised concerns about the safety and reliability of the whole project.
Environmental Clearance: A Troubled Process
Environmental clearance is a legal requirement for large projects like KLIP to ensure they don’t harm nature. However, the Kaleshwaram Project has faced criticism for not following these rules properly:
Delayed Clearance: The project began construction before getting environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. Clearance was only granted in December 2017, after work had already started, which violated environmental laws.
National Green Tribunal’s Ruling: In 2020, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), India’s environmental court, declared the 2017 clearance invalid because the project’s design was changed to increase its capacity from 2 TMC to 3 TMC of water per day. This change required a fresh clearance, as it affected forests and river ecology. The NGT ordered a halt to most construction (except for drinking water components) and asked for a new environmental assessment.
Ongoing Concerns: The Telangana government was directed to conduct further studies on the project’s environmental impact, but progress has been slow. The lack of proper clearances has fueled accusations that the project prioritizes development over environmental protection.
Financial Viability: What the CAG Report Says
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), India’s top auditing body, released a report in 2024 that called the Kaleshwaram Project “economically unviable.” Here’s what it found:
Huge Cost Overruns: The project’s cost was initially estimated at Rs 81,911 crore but has ballooned to over Rs 1.47 lakh crore (about $18 billion). This makes it one of the costliest irrigation projects in India.
Poor Returns: The CAG calculated that for every rupee spent on the project, it would generate only 52 paise in benefits. This means the project is losing money and not delivering the expected economic value.
High Operating Costs: Running the project is expensive, with annual electricity costs of Rs 10,374 crore and total operational costs of Rs 46,364 crore per acre irrigated. By March 2022, only 40,888 acres were irrigated, far less than the promised 18.26 lakh acres.
Debt Burden: The project was funded mostly through loans, putting Telangana in significant debt. The CAG criticized the state for poor planning and giving undue benefits to contractors, which increased costs.
The CAG’s findings have sparked debates about whether the project is worth its massive price tag, especially since it hasn’t delivered the promised benefits.
Environmental Concerns: What’s at Stake?
The Kaleshwaram Project has raised several environmental concerns, especially in recent reports:
Impact on Forests and Wildlife: The project required large amounts of land, including forest areas, which led to deforestation and habitat loss. The NGT noted that expanding the project’s capacity affected more forest land than initially planned.
River Ecology: Lifting huge amounts of water from the Godavari River changes its natural flow, which can harm aquatic life and downstream ecosystems. The NGT warned that the project’s expansion could disrupt the river’s hydrology.
Flood Risks: The 2022 floods damaged parts of the project, like pump houses, and raised questions about its ability to handle extreme weather. Poor maintenance, as noted by the NDSA, increases the risk of failures during heavy rains.
Lack of Transparency: The project’s rushed studies and lack of independent environmental audits have made it hard to assess its full impact. Critics argue that the government prioritized speed over sustainability.
These concerns highlight the need for better planning to balance development with environmental protection.
